This week All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi had serious beef with one of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestions aimed at “infusing more patriotism” in the country.
Bhagwat is concerned the current generation is less patriotic and earlier this month said the country’s broadband-generation must be taught to chant slogans hailing Mother India.
Owaisi took serious exception and decided to go by the ‘book’ while voicing his objections. “Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’,” he said.
Owaisi went a step further, adding he will not chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai even if “a knife” was held to his throat. Owaisi was speaking at a rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra.
His protest received the usual backlash from the Hindu right - with members asking him to leave the country, offering rewards for his body parts, etc.
Others were slightly more eloquent. Ratan Sharda, author and RSS ideologue, accused Owaisi of playing politics on national feelings and asked, “If you say I love my mother then what is the problem.”
Politicians also crossed party lines as they dove at Owaisi. Manish Tewari of the Congress and TV news said Owaisi’s statements must be “completely avoided”.
But this week’s longest, sustained assault against Owaisi came from Parliamentarian Javed Akhtar. Akhtar, during a farewell speech in the Upper House — ahead of his retirement decided to go out with a bang.
“He (Owaisi) said he will not say ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ as the Constitution does not require him to say so. The Constitution even does not ask him to wear sherwani (dress) and topi (cap)... I don’t care to know whether saying ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ is my duty or not, it is my right,” Akhtar said as claps reverberated in the House. Akhtar has ended his week-long fight and he is now mulling a political contest against Owaisi for the title of ultimate “mohalla leader”.
